[ANDYA]

Tom, your one of the few people if any that has run a bathtub manifold on the street for a long period of time. Out of curiosity, how is the driveability and the throttle response when cruising around?

[tom s]

If you drove the car you would have no idea your did not have a 2bbl under the hood untill you kicked it.ANYONE that comes to SoCal are invited to drive it.Tom

[421mike]

Tom what is the rest of the engine combo and what is the idle RPMS.

[tom s]

63 Lemans,3460 with me in it.434CI,9.5 CR,old faithfull cam.I keep it at 1000 RPMs.3.90 rear gear,28in tire,TKO600.Skip on this site I think drove it to Donut Derilics some years ago.Tom

[tom s]

OK,this is with the road paver cam and exhaust that ended at the axles.I put full exhaust on it and backed off the cam a touch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJjUoEN9Vjc

[tom s]

I know its not a 446!30 over 428 block and 428 crank.Tom

[421mike]

Thanks Tom, is it an iron block?

[Skip Fix]

I've driven it and pretty darn smooth. Tom kept saying lick in both 4s! But leaning on someone else's car I just putted it around mostly. Getting use to manila brakes and a new car with a stick on hills and stoplights was more of a challenge

[PAUL K]

Dang! That thing sounds more radical than my mid ten second pump gas beast.

https://youtu.be/PhDicneJIXs

Tom would you mind sharing a few more engine details (the one in the video)? Sounds and looks great!

[tom s]

Paul,all I did was pull the road paver and put in the OF BUT the exhaust had 2 chamber Flomasters and ended at the axle.I hated the exhaust.Now gas full system to the back with Hushpowers.Made a huge diff.Stock block,stock 428 crank,Carillio rods.Ross dished pistons.980 heads,260 Flo,H&S 1.65 rockers.The engine trans combo is great,ladder bar coil overs not so much.Built the car 22 year ago.Cam started at 250 on a 108,went to the RP on 112 and now OF on a 112.As said,anyone is welcome to drive it.Tom

[Skip Fix]

The flat lands around Houston are not quite as challenging with a stick. My wife had never driven a stick until when we lived in N CA and her barn was across San Jose we bought a VW Beetle because her 454 truck only got 9 mpg-and I swear it was faster than my stock 78 TA was. So learning to drive a stick with a shifter with angled gates on hills was a challenge for her. Darn motor seized the valve in the aluminum head(no separate guides) on me going down the freeway!

Moving back to Texas it only got 7mpg pulling the horse and only had had a 20 gallon tank. Some tight stretches between gas stations.

[PAUL K]

Originally Posted by tom s

Paul,all I did was pull the road paver and put in the OF BUT the exhaust had 2 chamber Flomasters and ended at the axle.I hated the exhaust.Now gas full system to the back with Hushpowers.Made a huge diff.Stock block,stock 428 crank,Carillio rods.Ross dished pistons.980 heads,260 Flo,H&S 1.65 rockers.The engine trans combo is great,ladder bar coil overs not so much.Built the car 22 year ago.Cam started at 250 on a 108,went to the RP on 112 and now OF on a 112.As said,anyone is welcome to drive it.Tom

Thanks Tom, the two chamber Flowmasters explain a lot. Never cared much for them. A noisy muffler doesn't make sense to me. I hope one day I can take you up on your offer to drive the car, but I'll probably perfer a ride.

[421mike]

Stick shift=millennial anti theft device.

[tom s]

Paul,EVERY car I have owned including the 69 T/A with the the short deck SCCA engine in it has always been avail for anyone to drive.The V engine im building now will go in the 69 bird and will be able to be driven.Many have driven it in the past with one kind of V engine or another.Its just a car!Tom

[mgarblik]

Originally Posted by tom s

Paul,EVERY car I have owned including the 69 T/A with the the short deck SCCA engine in it has always been avail for anyone to drive.The V engine im building now will go in the 69 bird and will be able to be driven.Many have driven it in the past with one kind of V engine or another.Its just a car!Tom

I just LOVE the quote above. Phil Heck made me a Pontiac guy for life when I was 18 years old. He stuffed me and 3 Pontiac friends into his 62 Aluminum SD Catalina in the middle of February in OH, and took us out for the ride of our life! Front end up, crazy high RPM shifts, slicks, open SD manifolds, It left a lifetime impression on us. It was the fastest car any of us had ever been in. I looked back during the blast and my friends eyes looked like saucers, his smile wouldn't fit on his face. These cars were made to be driven .

[sdbob]

Yes they are made to be driven. Have fun doing it. 'Do you know how valuable that car is? You shouldn't be driving it' A guy said to me at a POCI convention after I told him,he had SD also, I drove my SD there. I said did you ever street race a Corvette or Mustang ,he said no! Enjoy your car.I enjoy mine.I just walked away.

[Jack Gifford]

PJ's name is Phil?

[421mike]

Tom what do you think the chances are to get Brad to make another run of arms for the 3705s?

[tom s]

I think John needs to be the one to prod him as HE is the guy that would be doing the conversions.Tom

[mgarblik]

Originally Posted by Jack Gifford

PJ's name is Phil?

I believe so. Everyone calls him PJ. I should probably stick to that.. The only person who really called me Michael was my mom when I did something wrong. Mike for everyone else!